The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon said Monday that a border shooting that killed an Israeli soldier appeared to be “an individual action”, as officers of the two armies met.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) statement came after a meeting it convened, bringing together senior Lebanese and Israeli army officers.
Israel accused a Lebanese army soldier of opening fire across the sensitive border separating the two countries and killing one of its troops on Sunday.
“All the circumstances of this incident are not clear at this time, but preliminary findings indicate that it was an individual action by a soldier in contravention of the existing operational rules and procedures,” said the UNIFIL commander, Major General Paolo Serra.
He said he was “encouraged by the full cooperation... received from them (the two sides) in restoring calm in the area.”
“I stressed at the meeting that this must remain an isolated incident.”
The shooting was the first time an Israeli soldier had been killed along the border with Lebanon in more than three years, sparking calls for calm from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. But commentators said it was unlikely to spark a confrontation.
{{/usCountry}}The shooting was the first time an Israeli soldier had been killed along the border with Lebanon in more than three years, sparking calls for calm from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. But commentators said it was unlikely to spark a confrontation.
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